A Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for a stall selling alcohol during Notting Hill Carnival has been approved after an objection from the Metropolitan Police was withdrawn. The decision was made by the Licensing Sub-Committee of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Tuesday, 28 July 2026.
The TEN was submitted by Ms. Monique Walsh-Jemmott for Flat 5, Arthur Court, 40 Silchester Road, and was for the sale of alcohol off the premises and late-night refreshment on Sunday, 30 August 2026, and Monday, 31 August 2026. Initially, the Metropolitan Police had lodged an objection, citing concerns about public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder due to potential congestion on the parade route.
The Metropolitan Police's concerns included the potential for increased congestion, crowd build-up, and pinch points on the public highway during the Notting Hill Carnival due to the location on a parade route. They also raised concerns about the lack of a submitted event management plan, risk assessment, and site plan, as well as the potential for unauthorised street trading. Specifically, the police were concerned that the location on the parade route would draw large crowds, leading to a constant flow of attendees, heavy pedestrian traffic, restricted space, crowd density, and bottlenecks. They also noted difficulties for emergency vehicles attempting access and the potential for queues and crowd build-up that could impede the flow of people and create pinch points.
However, during the hearing, PC Jinelle Caldinez of the Metropolitan Police informed the committee that the objection was being withdrawn. This followed clarifications from Ms. Walsh-Jemmott. She confirmed that the stall would be located outside her home, not within the property itself, and that she had successfully operated a similar stall in the same location the previous year without issue. Furthermore, the proposed hours had been amended to align with the permitted hours for Notting Hill Carnival. The original proposed hours were from 11:00 to 20:00, which were amended to 12:00 to 19:00 each day to match the carnival's permitted hours.
A Temporary Event Notice (TEN) requires the premises user to give notice to the licensing authority, the police, and the council's Noise and Nuisance team at least ten working days before the event. The Metropolitan Police can lodge an objection if they are satisfied that allowing the premises to be used in accordance with the notice would undermine a licensing objective, specifically the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance, or the protection of children from harm.
Following the withdrawal of the objection, the committee had no further standing to hear the matter, and the TEN was permitted to proceed. No conditions or stipulations were attached to the TEN approval. Councillor Greg Hammond, Chair of the Licensing Subcommittee, wished Ms. Walsh-Jemmott a successful carnival.
More information on the meeting can be found in the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
